Incident Overview
Minutes after departing from Santo Domingo-Las Américas Airport, while the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 25,000 feet and approximately 83 kilometers from Santo Domingo, the captain notified air traffic control of an explosion in engine number two and a subsequent cabin decompression. Controllers cleared the flight for an immediate return to the departure airport.
Return and Landing
The crew executed the return and landed the aircraft uneventfully a short time later. All 117 persons on board evacuated the aircraft safely.
Aircraft Damage
Post-flight inspection revealed severe damage to both engine number two and engine number one. Debris from the exploding engine number two had punctured the fuselage, with fragments coming to rest inside the cabin. The cumulative damage rendered the aircraft beyond economical repair, and it was considered a total loss.